Research Assignment

Topic: Independence Narratives, Past and Present’

Primary Source:

Simón Bolívar’s Proclamation of 1813 was issued as Bolívar was chosen to lead an army to drive the Spanish from Venezuela. The Proclamation appealed to Venezuelans in the city of Trujillo for support in liberating Venezuela from the Spaniard rule. In his declaration, he urges the Venezuelans to work towards achieving loyalty within their country. However, as he mentions; “they are invited to live peacefully among us, […] honestly change their ways, and coöperate with us in destroying the intruding Spanish government and in the reestablishment of the Republic of Venezuela” (Bolívar, 1813), he shows a genuine interest in working with the Spanish to establish Venezuela as an independent state.

His proclamation overall not only impacted the local Venezuelan citizens, but also encouraged neighboring countries to oppose Spaniard rule and work towards achieving independence. Additionally, the proclamation demonstrated the Spanish’s loss of power not only within Europe but within the America’s as well.

This primary sources, demonstrates Bolívar’s fight towards achieving independence within South America. Thus, within my portion of the project, allows us to understand how and why he was named “the liberator” and his key role in supporting the independence of, what was then the “New Granada”.

Secondary Source:

 The second source used is a secondary article taken from encyclopedia.com. The article focused on narrating José Matias Delgado’s life and his role in the independence of El Salvador and several other countries. The article begins by describing the contextual background of that time period in where the Spanish became a weak power in the Americas as a result of the aggressions between the Spanish and French during the Napoleonic era, thus leaving San Salvador a hub for liberalism. However, after several attempts to up-rise against the Spanish rule and being brutally crushed by military forces in Guatemala, on “September 29, 1821, Delgado and Arce signed a declaration declaring the independence from Guatemala of the city of San Salvador” (Encyclopedia, 2004).

This article is interesting in that it looks deeper into the realities of Latin America at the time. While Guatemala is a sister country within Latin America, the people fought the Salvadorians in name of the Spanish crown. Thus, this perspective adds a new layer of depth within the development of the independences of countries around Latin America. Therefore, it allows the project to not only look at the Americas versus the Spaniards, but also Americans versus Americans.

 

Bibliography:

“José Matias Delgado.” Encyclopedia of World Biography. The Gale Group Inc, 2004. Web. 16 Nov. 2016.

Bolívar, Simón. “Proclamation of 1813.” Proclamation of 1813. City of Trujillo, Venezuela. 18 June 1813. Lecture.